As an example of a wireless communication system to which the present invention is applicable, a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) communication system will be schematically described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a network structure of an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (E-UMTS) as an example of a wireless communication system.
The E-UMTS is an evolved form of the legacy UMTS and has been standardized in the 3GPP. In general, the E-UMTS is also called an LTE system. For details of the technical specification of the UMTS and the E-UMTS, refer to Release 7 and Release 8 of “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network”.
Referring to FIG. 1, the E-UMTS includes a user equipment (UE), an evolved node B (eNode B or eNB), and an access gateway (AG) which is located at an end of an evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) and connected to an external network. The eNB may simultaneously transmit multiple data streams for a broadcast service, a multicast service and/or a unicast service.
One or more cells may exist per eNB. The cell is set to operate in one of bandwidths such as 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz and provides a downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) transmission service to a plurality of UEs in the bandwidth. Different cells may be set to provide different bandwidths. The eNB controls data transmission or reception to and from a plurality of UEs. The eNB transmits DL scheduling information of DL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain in which the DL data is supposed to be transmitted, coding, a data size, and hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ)-related information. In addition, the eNB transmits UL scheduling information of UL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain which may be used by the UE, coding, a data size, and HARQ-related information. An interface for transmitting user traffic or control traffic may be used between eNBs. A core network (CN) may include the AG and a network node or the like for user registration of UEs. The AG manages the mobility of a UE on a tracking area (TA) basis. One TA includes a plurality of cells.
Wireless communication of the above legacy LTE communication system focuses on a communication scheme between an eNode B (eNB) and a UE. However, recently, demand for technical development of a direct communication scheme between UEs has been increasing.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a concept of direct communication between UEs.
Referring to FIG. 2, UE1 and UE2 perform direct communication therebetween and UE3 and UE4 also perform direct communication therebetween. An eNB may control time/frequency resource locations, transmit power, etc. for direct communication between UEs through a proper control signal. Hereinafter, direct communication between UEs will be referred to as device-to-device (D2D) communication.
D2D communication has requirements different from a conventional LTE communication scheme in various aspects.